Modi’s swearing-in ceremony to have fool-proof security

With indications that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa may attend the May 26 swearing in ceremony of Narendra Modi as PM, the security agencies are planning fool-proof arrangements. A detailed threat perception report about the BJP leader was circulated on Tuesday among the VVIP security establishment.

Government sources said Omita Paul, secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee, reviewed the security arrangements for the swearing-in ceremony with senior IB officials on Monday evening.

SPG Director Durga Dass met top IB officials of VVIP security and reviewed in detail the security procedure for the new PM.

“We have been told that Modi has invited Jayalalithaa for the swearing-in function and Chennai has sought permission from Rashtrapati Bhawan for allowing CM’s special chair on health issue grounds on that day. So, we are presuming that Jayalalithaa is coming next Monday,” said a senior security official.

Jayalalithaa apart, the security agencies are in a tizzy over Modi, who is under serious threat from Pakistan-based jihadist groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, underworld mafia, Khalistani terrorists, Kashmiri groups, banned Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Indian Mujahideen terrorist group.

Although no new threat has been added since January 2014, the report talks about Modi being target of all major Pakistan sponsored Islamic and Sikh terrorist groups and abetted by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

While an uncorroborated intelligence input of January 2014 indicated that two trained groups of Khalistan Commando Force had plans to infiltrate into India via the Punjab/Gujarat route to target Modi, LeT amir Hafiz Saeed and JeM chief Masood Azhar have talked about neutralising India’s next PM last year.

Modi was targeted by Indian Mujahideen’s Ranchi module during an election rally at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on October 27, 2013.

Abu Faisal, one of the six SIMI fugitives who had escaped from Khandwa jail in Madhya Pradesh last October, was arrested along with two others two months later.

During his interrogation, Faisal said Modi would be targeted by SIMI with the help of Tehrik-e-Taliban, Pakistan with the use of high explosives. As the remaining SIMI absconders — Zakir, Mohammed Aslam Khan, Mohammed Ajazuddin, Sheikh Mehboob and Amjad Sheikh — are still at large and pose a serious threat to Modi.

Interrogation of other SIMI/IM cadres like Tehsim Akhtar and Zia-ur-Rehman Waqas, who were arrested by Delhi Police in March 2014, have revealed plans to target Modi.